Elam to Retire a Bronco

After 17 seasons in the NFL, Jason Elam will sign a one-day contract to officially retire as a Denver Bronco.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- It's hard for Broncos fans to think of Jason Elam in any colors other than orange and blue.

After all, Elam played in 236 games in Denver -- a franchise record -- and his 15 seasons as a Bronco are tied with Tom Nalen for the second-highest total in team history behind John Elway.

Now, Elam will be part of the team once again, as he will sign a one-day contract with the team in order to officially retire as a Denver Bronco.

The announcement will take place at a 2 p.m. MDT press conference in the team meeting room of the club's Dove Valley headquarters Wednesday.

"When it's all said and done, he will be remembered as one of the greatest Broncos and a player whose career achievements redefined the importance of his position," President and CEO Pat Bowlen said. "Without question, he is a Ring of Famer who deserves strong consideration for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame."

Elam was a big part of the reason Denver owns the longest active streak of consecutive games without being shut out in league history. The streak began in 1992, and Elam joined the team in '93. In every single contest Elam touched the field, he scored at least one point.

That's the second-longest streak in NFL history. Elam made sure the Broncos were never shut out as long as he was on the club.

Elam stands in fifth place in league history in most points scored and most field goals made, holds the league record with 16 consecutive seasons with 100 or more points and he made what is tied for the longest field goal in NFL history -- 63 yards.

Through it all, he earned three Pro Bowl selections, was voted a second-team All-Pro on three occasions and was named the NFL Special Teams Player of the Year in 2001. Most importantly, he won two Super Bowl trophies and accumulated 152 wins in a Broncos uniform -- the second-highest total in team history behind Elway.

"I am thrilled that Jason is retiring as a Bronco," Elway said. "He was a great contributor to the organization as well as the community. There has not been a more clutch kicker in the history of the NFL. He was a great competitor and an invaluable piece to our championship teams."

Though he spent the past two seasons in Atlanta, Elam's influence reached the current Broncos squad in the form of Matt Prater.

Prater and Elam spent the end of the 2007 season together in Denver, as Prater served as a kickoff specialist.

"In the short time I worked with Jason, I learned a lot about being a professional both on and off the field," Prater said. "He was a great guy to look up to and the perfect example to follow. He is a Hall-of-Fame kicker who was one of the best to play the game."

Now, after 17 seasons, Elam will officially hang up the cleats.

DenverBroncos.com will have full coverage of the announcement, including a live stream of the press conference, audio, video, photos and a top story following the event.